At 40, Title IX still is maturing

DePaul AD has been along for ride since start but says there's still a ways to go

June 23, 2012|By Shannon Ryan, Chicago Tribune reporter

Jean Lenti Ponsetto clearly remembers the thrill she and her basketball teammates at DePaul felt in the mid-1970s when they received new Converse canvas sneakers from the school.

As Title IX went into effect four decades ago, athletic gear, upgraded facilities and even transportation considered standard in 2012 were the signs of dramatically changing times.

"We were like, 'This is so cool and so awesome,'" said Ponsetto, now the Blue Demons' athletic director and one of the approximately 18 percent in that position in the NCAA who are female. "It was almost weekly that we got something new. We got our own uniforms. By my first year of coaching, we were chartering buses and not driving our own cars (to games). The change was rapid."

The 1972 law, celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend, ensured equal education and opportunities regardless of sex in federally funded institutions. It is known best for ushering in sweeping progress to women's athletics.

The evidence is seen on high school playing fields, where more than 3 million high school girls participate today up from less than 32,000 before the law. The 16-year existence of the WNBA and the star power of Olympians such as goalkeeper Hope Solo provide more credence.

But as the country marks the milestone and women across the country are recounting their days as pioneers, they acknowledge there is work to be done.

"If you talked to anyone from the athletic side, no one would say we're done or that we've arrived," Ponsetto said. "We've gone through a natural progression of growth. Now we have to get to the maturing adult phase that the law intended."

Equal play and enforcement remain issues, which are highlighted by a 2010 complaint the National Women's Law Center filed against 12 school districts nationwide with Chicago ranking as the worst.

The NWLC found that many high schools are not providing equal athletic opportunities. A study released Friday showed that in most states at least 25 percent and as many as 75 percent of schools report large participation gaps between the girls enrolled and girls who play.

Illinois ranked No. 32 on the list with 31.4 percent of schools reporting a participation gap of at least 10 percentage points or more.

In the NWLC complaint, Chicago reported a gap of 33 percentage points. The Office for Civil Rights is investigating the complaint.

"It's easy to get caught up in percentages but when you look at larger high schools' double digit gaps, you may be talking to 100 opportunities lost," said Fatima Goss Graves, NWLC vice president for education and employment. "That's significant because of what we know about the many benefits of sports participation."

Education also remains key to revitalizing awareness about the law, especially among girls who are not taught about gender inequality.

"High school girls I talked to had never heard of Title IX," said filmmaker Maria Finitzo, who is making a documentary about Chicago-area female athletes. "Some asked, 'There's a law we have to be treated equally?' I asked my teacher, 'Why don't I know about this law?'"

That's why DePaul women's basketball coach Doug Bruno has the girls that attend his youth camps recite the 37-word law after the Pledge of Allegiance.

"One of the most important fights is a pure attitudinal fight," said Bruno, who is an assistant coach for the U.S. women's Olympic team. "Proper attitudes don't cost money."

Title IX opportunities have spilled over into professional endeavors for women as well. But there are still disparities.

While Chicago boasts the Sky in the WNBA and a women's football team in the Force, there are no major professional sports leagues outside of basketball. Despite increased attention toward theWomen's World Cup, which consistently draws high television ratings, the Women's Professional Soccer league recently folded.

Tennis is a rarity in that the Grand Slam events pay equal to male and female winners. But the pay and exposure for WNBA players pales in comparison to their NBA counterparts, forcing many athletes to spend offseasons playing overseas for more lucrative contracts.

This season's NCAA women's final on ESPN saw an 11 percent increase from 2011 and the most viewership at 4.2 million viewers since 2004.

Marketing departments face a daunting challenge in identifying an audience that will fill up arenas for women's games.

"We have to drive awareness and awareness has to increase demand," Sky chairman and minority owner Margaret Stender said. "I don't want to be patient. We have to keep driving it."

Increased competitiveness helps the sport and will bring about more recognition, Sky forward Swin Cash said.

"We have a lot more younger girls who are fierce," said Cash, a 10-year veteran and gold-medal Olympian. "They know the WNBA is there so they're working on their game. We're at a pivotal point where we need a connect between the youth and professional organizations."

Female athletes no longer see receiving athletic gear as a token of fairness, but Ponsetto sees more equality on the way with future generations.

"It's not about tweaking the law or creating new criteria," she said. "It's about educating people on how important it is."